[Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.2002-122271
[Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.2000-87947
[Document 3] U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,882
Generally, in the case of fixing the shift-lever-side end of an AT cable, as shown in FIG. 9b, a cable end fixing device 100 is used. In the device, the cable end is supported by a plate-like bracket which is provided with a U-shaped slot 101. In the cable end fixing device 100, a cable is mounted by being inserted sidewise into the slot 101 of the bracket 102, in other words, inserted along radial direction versus the axial line of the cable 103. As a cable end fixing device 100 of this type, the Document 1 proposes a one-touch cap which enables one-handed fixing of a cable and can support forces in the axial direction and can prevent from slipping out of the fixed cable.
This type device basically comprises, as shown in FIG. 9a, a body 107 provided with a flange-shaped stopper 105 for mating to one face of a bracket 102 and male screw thread 106, and a nut-like socket engaged with the male screw and energized by a coil spring 108 in the rotating direction. This device is semi-automated in screwing. Further, it has a lock member 111 so as to lock the rotation of the socket 109 before the cap is mounted on the bracket and released automatically when being mounted. In addition, it is proposed to make circular projection in the socket 109 to engage or disengage with the jaw portion 101a of the slot 101 using the motion along the axial direction of the socket 109, thereby securing the prevention of slipping out.
On the other hand, Document 2 proposes a cable fixing device 119 shown in FIG. 10. The device has a cable case 115 having a groove 114 to be engaged with the slot 101 of the bracket 102 and a leaf spring 118 having crooks 117 to be engaged as a snap fastener with mating groove 116 formed on the slot 101. The free ends 120 of the spring 118 are finger grips. It may be difficult to call this type as “one-touch cap”, but once the spring 118 is mounted on the groove 114, the bracket 102 can be mounted by one hand on the bracket 102. In dismounting, only gripping the free ends 120 of the spring 118 releases the engagement with the mating groove 116 of the crooks 117 of the spring 118, thereby enabling easy dismounting. Further, a similar cable-fixing device is disclosed in Document 3.
The cable-fixing device 100 described in the Document 1 requires longer axial length so as to secure the operational range of the socket 109 and requires a coil spring 108 and the socket 109 resulting in more required parts and more complicated assembling work before fixing cables. On the other hand, the cable-fixing device described in the Document 2 requires fewer parts and the simple construction of the cable case 115. However, it requires pre-mounting of the spring 118 on the cable case 115 and also has a problem to be tended to become rickety. The object of the invention is to propose a one-touch cap having fewer parts and less tended to become rickety.